


Old Friends and New

by eriah211



Category: Primeval
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, Season/Series 03, Snark, Spoilers, Team Dynamics, Timeline Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 12:04:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10556014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eriah211/pseuds/eriah211
Summary: Danny and Becker meet some old friends thanks to an anomaly and they see a chance to change the past, but, would it be a good idea? SPOILERS up to series 3.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Livejournal in 2016.  
> For the primeval_denial Art Challenge 2016, inspired by the wonderful graphic by goldarrow.  
> Thanks to the wonderful fredbassett for the fast beta. All remaining mistakes are mine and mine alone.

 

‘It’s not our decision to make,’ Becker hissed angrily.  
  
‘Whose is it then?’ Danny replied. “We are the ones that are here and there might not be another chance. Do you want to go back and write a report for Lester? Wait for the approval of the Home Office?’  
  
The stubborn expression on Danny’s face told Becker that he wasn’t going to change his mind, but, damn, changing the past wasn’t something you could do without thinking about the consequences.  
  
‘For once in your life, Quinn, try to think before acting,’ Becker whispered. ‘If we change what happened... We don’t even know what the consequences could be.”  
  
“I’ve thought about it, Becker,” Danny replied, staring seriously straight at him. “I know that things will change. I just don’t see how keeping Cutter and Stephen alive could make the future worse for anybody.”  
  
Becker took a look over the rocks they were hiding behind and he saw Professor Cutter and Stephen down the hill, taking some samples by the river. Cutter looked tense even at that distance and Stephen himself looked uncomfortable, no sign of the friendly relationship they used to share, as Becker had been told.  
  
It wasn’t so simple, he thought, there were a lot of things that could go wrong, but turning his back on this chance just didn’t feel right. Those men hadn’t deserved to die the way they did and now they had the chance to do something about it.  
  


 

***

 

  
  
“So, to summarize, you say you are part of the ARC team from the future...” Cutter said, sounding dubious. “That you’ve come through a different anomaly...”  
  
“Yes, it’s on the other side of that hill,” Danny explained. “Connor detected it a few hours ago; we don’t even know how long it will last.”  
  
“That’s why we should go back as soon as possible,” Becker said, glancing warningly at him.  
  
“...And that you just wanted to warn us about Helen getting both of us killed,” Cutter finished.  
  
 “Why should we believe anything you say?” Stephen replied, getting defensive. “Helen working with Leek _,_ trapping creatures for their evil purposes? Shooting Nick? That’s ridiculous! She would never do something like that!”  
  
“Oh, boy, she really got her claws into you, didn’t she?” Danny said with pity.  
  
Cutter couldn’t hide a grimace at those words, but said nothing.  
  
“I’ll explain it again, using the words of the people that loved you and had to be at your funeral, pal,” Danny added, staring straight at Stephen. “You both behaved like little children and let Helen trick you instead of talking like grown-ups. And then it was too late and you got yourself a heroic and stupid death.”  
  
“Yes, that’s mostly the version I was told when I started working at the ARC,” Becker agreed.  
  
Stephen huffed, but at least he now looked slightly worried instead of just annoyed. Cutter still didn’t look convinced, but they really couldn’t stay longer, they had a long walk back to their anomaly.  
  
“I honestly hope what we’ve told you is enough to keep you alive, but it depends on you now,” Becker said as a goodbye. “Just remember it was your faith in being able to change Helen that killed you in the end, professor.”  
  
“Big mistake, man,” Danny said as they started walking up the hill. “She’s too far gone for that.”  
  
“You realize that you have changed your past by talking to us, right?” Cutter shouted as they walked away.  
  
“Yes, we know!” Danny shouted back. “Just don’t screw things up, mate!”  
  


 

  
***

 

  
  
When they got to the anomaly, they both hesitated.  
  
Becker knew the world they were going to find on the other side of the anomaly was going to be different from the one they had left behind, but how different was the key question here. There was no way to know until they went through the anomaly.  
  
Becker took a deep breath and looked at Danny.  
  
“Time to go back, Becks,” Danny said, smiling. “I’ll hold your hand if you want.”  
  
Danny was teasing him, as usual, but he couldn’t hide the uncertainty that showed in his eyes. Well, there was nothing they could do now, they would just have to hope they had made the right thing.  
  
Becker punched him in the shoulder as an answer and started walking towards the anomaly.  
  


 

***

 

  
  
“Nice to see you back, the anomaly was starting to weaken,” Connor said when they went through. “Anything interesting on the other side?”  
  
Well, no reason to panic yet, Becker thought relieved, the team was still there and it looked like they were part of it.  
  
“You could say so, mate,” Danny said, looking around with curiosity.  
  
“Nothing dangerous in the vicinity, but we’ll explain the details once we get back to the ARC,” Becker explained to the young man. “For now we’ll just lock the anomaly and keep an eye on it, see when it closes and if it reopens any time soon.”  
  
“Where’s Abby?” Danny asked.  
  
Abby had been there when they had gone through the anomaly and now she was nowhere to be seen. There were also some new faces among the soldiers that were already loading the equipment into the vehicles.  
  
Connor seemed to be quite disconcerted by Danny’s question and for a moment, Becker feared the worst.  
  
“Abby’s still with the other team, helping Stephen to send the deinonychus back to their era,” Connor explained. “The professor has sent them there this morning, remember?”  
  
“Professor... Cutter?” Becker asked hopefully.  
  
Connor looked definitely flabbergasted now. Becker just held his breath.  
  
“Of course Professor Cutter, who else were you expecting?” he finally answered, looking at Becker as if he had just grown an extra head.  
  
Danny’s enthusiastic yell of happiness got the young man even more confused.  
  
“What the hell is going on?” Connor asked, looking from one man to the other.  
  
“I think I know, Connor,” a well-known voice said behind them.  
  
And there he was, Professor Cutter himself, getting out of one of the vehicles.  
  
“Nice to see you again! I was wondering when you would show up,” Cutter said walking towards them and ignoring a wide-eyed Connor. “I think there’s a lot we need to talk about...”  
  
  


 

***

 

  
  
“So here we are, talking seriously about changes in the timeline,” Lester said, sitting behind his desk with an annoyed expression on his face.  
  
“Changes that none of us can remember but you...”  
  
 “I believe them,” Cutter replied firmly. “Stephen and I met them, just as they’ve described.”  
  
Stephen nodded seriously, standing by Cutter’s side.  
  
Abby and Connor were sitting by the desk and the young man looked terribly excited by the story and its possibilities. Jenny, on the other hand, was standing next to Lester and didn’t seem as surprised by the whole thing as they would have expected.  
  
“They warned us about Helen and Leek,” Cutter added. “If it hadn’t been for them...”  
  
“Yes, yes, professor, you have already said it,” Lester said, waving his hand dismissively. “You both would have been killed.”  
  
Lester sounded quite uninterested, but Becker saw him glance at Stephen’s serious face for a second. There was a long scar running from Stephen’s cheek to his neck that got lost under the collar of his t-shirt and something told Becker that there were a lot of stitches and hospital time behind that scar.  
  
“Let’s say, for the sake of simplicity, that I believe in this story,” Lester finally said. “Then I will have to say I find it was a terribly reckless and dangerous decision. What happened to ‘We can’t alter the past’, gentlemen?”  
  
“It wasn’t the Past-Past, guv,” Danny justified himself. “Just one year or two. And I think they were quite crappy years for the ARC and the world in general, really.”  
  
Lester glared at him, but it had no effect on the cheeky man.  
  
“That story would also explain why you were so keen on letting Mr Quinn join the team, Professor,” Lester said, turning to Cutter. “I found it quite strange then, considering how difficult he’d made the team’s work in the abandoned house, but I eventually came to the conclusion that you just wanted to make my life miserable.”  
  
“I feel hurt, guv,” Danny replied grinning.  
  
“What about Helen?” Becker finally asked. “Did you manage to arrest her?”  
  
“For a brief time only, unfortunately,” Lester answered, frowning. “She managed to run away.”  
  
“So she is still around?” Becker asked.  
  
“Oh, joy,” Danny muttered.  
  
“Not a bad outcome, all things considered,” Jenny said, smiling softly at Becker.  
  
“Of course,” Lester replied drily. “Things could have been much worse after such a blunt move.”  
  
“I agree,” Cutter said.  
  
“And the surprises don’t end today,” Lester deadpanned.  
  
“But I’ll always be grateful for what you did,” Cutter added, ignoring Lester. “Thank you very much for giving us a second chance.”  
  
He offered his hand to Becker, who shook it firmly, and then to Danny.  
  
“No problem, mate,” Danny said, shaking his hand.  
  
“Well, I think that’s enough drama for today,” Lester said, standing up. “But I expect a full report on my desk from everybody involved in this _incident_ first time tomorrow. Mr Quinn and Captain Becker will be off duty until then. Now, everybody else back to their tasks!”  
  
The meeting was clearly over so they all turned to leave the room.  
  
“Hey, Connor! You can give me the highlights of what’s been happening here lately, right?” Danny asked putting his arm around the young man’s shoulders as they walked out of Lester’s office.  
  
“That wasn’t too bad,” Becker whispered to Cutter. “I was worried Lester might try to get us sectioned.”  
  
“I wouldn’t lower your guard just yet,” Cutter replied, smiling. “I’m sure he’s still considering the pros and-“  
  
“We won the last Eurovision contest?” Danny’s voice shouted from the hall. “How did we even manage to change that?”  
  
“Oh, hell...” Becker sighed.  


 

  
Fin  



End file.
